Judi, who suffers from macular degeneration, an age-related condition leading to loss of vision, said of the proms: "A more frightening experience I have yet to have. Fortunately now I can't see very clear, I used to be able to see every member of the audience and exactly what they were doing.

"I can't do that anymore which in a way is a wonderful blessing. "I didn't realise it was a blessing until I went on that night at the Proms.

(Image: Rex)

"There was like a sea of corn in front of me. And I looked up and thought 'there is nobody upstairs'."

She said: "My daughter is on tour at the moment and we went the other night and sat there in the theatre and I thought 'gosh I miss that'. That whole thing of getting read and going on and it being slightly different from the last night, slightly better or slightly worse.

"I really miss that. There is no substitute for being part of a company and all coming together to tell a story that very moment.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary festival she insisted she still had the energy to perform live in theatre.

Giving hope to her fans they may see her on stage again soon, she added: "That doesn't phase me at all, eight shows a week.

"If you do eight performances that is the amount of energy you have. Fortunately I was blessed with an enormous amount of energy because my parents had that.

"That is something you are passed on and you are lucky if you have it."

The one moment of sadness came as she spoke about her Bond character M who was killed off , Judi, 79, said: "I've never found out who it was (who killed off character) and I don't want to."

She said working on The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the follow up, due out in February, were amongst her favourite films to make in her entire career because she loves filming in India.